This document discusses inappropriate online behavior such as cyberbullying and sexting. It notes that cyberbullying can have serious negative effects on victims like needing to change schools or suicide. While laws have been established to prosecute cyberbullies, many victims still suffer in silence. Sexting, defined as sending sexually explicit messages or images, especially among youths, is also examined. The document explores possible reasons for inappropriate online behavior, such as anonymity, disregard for laws, and aggressive tendencies, and draws parallels between this behavior and road rage. It is suggested that social media may not directly promote such behavior but that people need to recognize real world rules still apply online.

1. Does Social Media promote
inappropriate online behaviour?

2. Everyday we see negative behaviour
online…

3. …such as cyberbullying
Cyberbullying - the
electronic posting of
mean-spirited messages
about a person (as a
student) often done
anonymously1

4. There are many detriments to
cyberbullying
Effect on Bullies:
• Arrests and prosecution
• Physical and verbal retaliation
by members of the community
Effect on Victims
• The need to switch schools
• Long-term psychological effects
• Suicide and/or attempts

5. On October 19, 2012, in London, Ontario, 8 teenage
girls were arrested due to their alleged cyberbullying
exploits on Facebook. These girls were charged with
criminal harassment.2
However, this case is unique to many others since it
was before a potential suicide or complaints by the
parents to authorities. Members of the community
were able to see what was coming and reported it.

6. While that case shows progress, there have
been 41 suicides from 2003-2012 linked
to cyberbullying.3 Which is only counting
the United States, Canada, the
United Kingdom and Australia.
It is important to note that other suicides may not
have been counted due to a lack of information.
Also it should be noted that many victims are still
suffering in silence.

7. Sexting is another form of
inappropriate online behaviour

8. Sexting – the sending of sexually explicit
messages or images by cell phone.4
While this may be the textbook definition we will
use this term to encompass all online posts of
explicit photos and videos that are not for
commercial gain.

9. Parents are often satisfied to know that their kids are
safe at home. However, parents are now learning
that their kids may be behaving very inappropriately
from their rooms.
Webcams and camera phones have allowed teens to
share pictures of themselves with little to nothing on.
They often do this from the comfort of their home
but it can reach right around the world.

10. Legal ramifications
• Sending pictures of another minor around is
grounds for child pornography charges5
• Simply possessing the pictures can constitute
a child pornography charge which also leads
to sex offender registration5

11. So with so many reasons not too, why
is the internet filled with inappropriate
behaviour and material?

12. For a moment let us examine Road Rage.
Road Rage – a motorist’s
uncontrolled anger that is
usually provoked by another
motorist’s irritating act and is
expressed in aggressive or
violent behaviour6
What this boils down to is inappropriate behaviour
in a car, which can often differ from the person’s real life
behaviour.

13. Some causes associated with road rage are:
• Anonymity
• Disregard of the law and others
• Aggressive behaviour7

14. Is there a link between road rage and
inappropriate online behaviour?
In the unfortunate story of Amanda Todd, a B.C.
Canada teen who committed suicide, we can
see this.

15. Anonymity
• she decided to expose parts of her body via a
webcam to someone
• She seemed to believe it wouldn’t come back
to her and therefore felt safe in doing so

16. Disregard for the Law
• Amanda was later blackmailed by an unknown
person over the pictures
• Multiple threats of violence and death were
directed to her as time went on

17. Aggressive Behaviour
• Threats against her well-being must also be noted
as aggressive behaviour and they eventually lead
to in person physical and mental abuse
• Since her death, an aggressive backlash against
those allegedly involved has also resulted, with
hackers posting information on them (another
illegal act as the accused is a minor)8

18. The Online Disinhibition Effect
John Suler, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist that
studied inappropriate online behaviour and its
causes. He terms it as The Online Disinhibition
effect.9
In his study he found many reasons why we
behave differently online, including some
behaviours that I believe resemble aspects of
road rage.

19. Anonymity
John states that online users feel:
• dissociative anonymity – simply put people
don’t know who you are for the most part
• Invisibility – people can’t see you (which is
often the cause of fear in public speaking)

20. Disregard for the Law
John states:
• We’re equals – online we are mostly all
equals, which John believes minimizes
authority. Perhaps it can be looked at the
other way. Instead of authority being
minimized, people feel their own authority is
maximized. This can lead to a disregard for
the law.

21. Aggressive Behaviour
John also states that:
• Personality variables and people’s true self are
at play
• Some people do behave like this in public
• It also means that in some cases more
reserved people’s negative attributes can be
magnified online9

22. In the case of road rage and inappropriate
online behaviour we see people acting out.
It seems we all have the need to do this once in
a while. However, some, are unable to see the
long term effects of doing this online.

23. A recent study even claims that online
interactions, through social media, are more
addictive than sex and smoking cigarettes. 10
The term gate-way drug refers to a seemingly
harmless drug which leads to using much harder
drugs later on.

24. It seems we all crave social interactions as often
as possible. However since we can’t do that at
all hours of the day, we turn to social media
And when a traditional social media exchange no
longer satiates our craving we may need to raise
the stakes.

25. Does social media promote
inappropriate online behaviour?
To blame these problems on social media would
be unfair. If there were no cars, there would be
no drinking and driving but that doesn’t mean
drunk drivers can blame automakers for their
problems.
We need to realize that the real world rules
apply to our online life as well.